Shaba IIwas a brief conflict fought in theZaireanprovince ofShaba(now Katanga) in 1978. The conflict broke out on 11 May 1978 after 6,500 rebels from theCongolese National Liberation Front(FNLC), a Katangese separatist militia, crossed the border fromAngolainto Zaire in an attempt to achieve the province's secession from the Zairian regime ofMobutu Sese Seko.The FNLC captured the important mining town ofKolwezi.[2]
| Shaba II | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theShaba Invasionsand theCold War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 FNLC | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Nathaniel Mbumba | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
Zaire: 14 killed 8 wounded[1] Civilians: 500 killed France:[1] 11 killed 20 wounded Belgium:[1] 1 killed Morocco:[1] 1 paratrooper killed European civilians: 120 killed[1] United States:[1] 1 aircraft slightly damaged 1 crewman wounded |
Katanga:[1] ~250 killed - 400 killed 160 captured | ||||||
Foreign involvement
editThe Mobutist government appealed for foreign assistance andFrenchandBelgianmilitary intervention beat back the invasion,just as in 1977.[3]
The U.S. andCubacoerced Angola and Zaire into negotiations leading to a non-aggression pact. That ended support for insurgencies in each other's countries. Zaire temporarily cut off support to theFront for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda(FLEC), theNational Liberation Front of Angola(FNLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), and Angola forbade further activity by the Shaba separatists.[3]
The U.S. worked with France in repelling the invaders in the first military co-operation between the two since theVietnam War.[2][dubious–discuss]U.S. Air Forceelements involved included aCombat Control Team(air traffic controllers) of the435th Tactical Airlift Wing,the445th Airlift Wing,and other airlift wings.[4]
Battle of Kolwezi
editTheFrench Foreign Legion's 2 Foreign Paratroop Regiment had 600 troops, who took back Kolwezi after a seven-day battle and airlifted 2,250 European citizens to Belgium but not before the FNLC had massacred 80 Europeans and 200 Africans. In one instance, the FNLC killed 34 European civilians who had hidden in a room. However, Zairean helicopter pilotPierre Yambuyaclaims that many of the civilian deaths were caused by Zairian armed forces, not the FLNC.[5]
Conclusion
editThe FNLC retreated to Zambia and back to Angola, vowing to return. The Zairian armed forces (Forces Armées Zaïroises) forcibly evicted civilians along Shaba's 105-kilometre-long (65 mi) border with Angola, and Mobutu ordered them to shoot on sight.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcdefgMinistère de la Défense.""OPÉRATION LÉOPARD" Une intervention humanitaire Kolwezi 17 mai-16 juin 1978 "(PDF).Collection « Mémoire et Citoyenneté » n° 37.Defense.gouv.fr. p. 8.Retrieved1 April2014.
- ^abWidstrand, Carl Gösta, Timothy M. Shaw, and Douglas George Anglin.Canada, Scandinavia, and Southern Africa,1978. Page 130.
- ^abGeorge, Edward.The Cuban Intervention in Angola, 1965-1991: From Che Guevara to Cuito Cuanavale,2005. Page 136.
- ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 12 September 2011.Retrieved13 December2011.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^NDAYWELE NZIEM, ISIDORE, Histoire Générale du Congo, p.757 seehttps://books.google.com/books?id=U47B0mwVU_4C&dq=pierre+yambuya+flnc&pg=PA757
- ^Inside Kolwezi: Toll of Terror,5 June 1978.Timemagazine
External links
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